Extreme Exercise / Men's Health
Jobe Lawrenson for Men’s Health
I wrote about the apparently inexplicable popularity of masochistic fitness cults such as CrossFit, Ironman triathlons, ultramarathons and obstacle course races for the May 2018 issue of Men’s Health. My attempt to explain it explored the interrelated nature of pain and pleasure, our inherent need to be challenged versus the trend for ever-greater comfort and how, in our increasingly secular society, extreme exercise could be the opium of the masses.